A bit of cooperation between the lines

[samgrant]

"On November 19 [1862] Pemberton asked permission to send money and clothing to the sick and wounded Confederates at Iuka, as well as ambulances from time to time to bring back the convelescents. Generously he thanked Grant for the kind treatment the Confederate surgeon at Iuka reported was being given the Southern wounded. Grant's reply gave full permission for what was asked, and suggested a road, "This route will be left free for your ambulances while engaged in removing the sick and wounded.""

- from Lincoln Finds a General, Vol. 4, by Kenneth P. Williams

[samgrant]

Found this in a cached area of a website no longer active: Western North Carolina: A History


"Soon after the battle of Jericho Ford, in September, 1864, Natt Nixon, a
seventeen-year-old boy of Mitchell's river, Surry, was desperately wounded, and at night Captain Lovill and Private AI. H. Freeman, a cobbler of Dobson, went to get him, as he had been left within the enemy's lines.

They called him and he answered, saying the Federals were between him and them, but had been to him and given him water.

Freeman put down his gun and accoutrements and shouting in a loud voice "Natt, I'm coming after you. I am coming unarmed, and any man who shoots me is a ****ed coward," started.

It was night, but no one fired at him, and he brought his stricken comrade
back to Captain Lovill; but the poor boy died near a farm house to which he had been borne before daylight.

[Capt Coxetter]

While it ceratinly doesn't qualify as documentation: there's a great scene in the movie GODS AND GENERALS where the opposing soldiers meet midway in a trickling stream, where a Confederate shares his pipe in return for a sip of the Union man's coffee.

What I really loved about it was the sense of awkwardness the two shared, as they met: they really didn't know what to say to each other.

Capt. Coxetter

[larry_cockerham]

Sam, looking back at your original post, I notice the date February 1865. By that time Forrest was in Mississippi and Alabama trying to recover from the disastrous venture into Tennessee a couple of months before. Forrest was out of position to work on the two railroads running south from Nashville that he had almost made a career of disrupting. Since they were in federal control at that point, not much danger of being torn up. The northern Alabama and Mississippi lines were still potentially of value to Forrest logistically, though it proved otherwise when Gen. James Wilson began his 'invasion' of Alabama the last week of March, a little over a month later. This was another example of Forrest having a human side and Thomas was not such a bad guy either. The ruckus occurred when they met face to face.

[william42]

That scene in "Gods and Generals" was good, and believable. I believed it. It was what I would expect had I been able to witness the encounter in real life, on the battlefield.

TW

[Rad2duhbone53]

Think on this for a while........many a pickets from both sides met on their own for some coffee and/or tobacco. Maybe the "common soldier" didn't think too much what the influential heirarchy thought or did about the war. When George Pickett became a Father a truce was a called and a silver tea set was brought over to the General and campfires everywhere on the Union side was lit in honor of him. Imagine that today............

[samgrant]

Originally Posted by Rad2duhbone53

Think on this for a while........many a pickets from both sides met on their own for some coffee and/or tobacco. Maybe the "common soldier" didn't think too much what the influential heirarchy thought or did about the war. When George Pickett became a Father a truce was a called and a silver tea set was brought over to the General and campfires everywhere on the Union side was lit in honor of him. Imagine that today............

Rad, want to document that?

[Miss Markie]

Pickett story? I am at work, but when I get home I can look it up. It was said that the gift sent over (I had always heard) was sent by Grant, and it was silver teaspoons. I'll have to get back on that one, but I have read it often. The West Point tradition and connection seemed to over-ride a lot of 'enemy' sentiments during the war.

[samgrant]

Originally Posted by Miss Markie

Pickett story? I am at work, but when I get home I can look it up. It was said that the gift sent over (I had always heard) was sent by Grant, and it was silver teaspoons. I'll have to get back on that one, but I have read it often. The West Point tradition and connection seemed to over-ride a lot of 'enemy' sentiments during the war.

Did Grant get those spoons from Butler?

[william42]

Tried to PM you with this but couldn't find anywhere that I could put an attachment. Hope you can hear it.

Well, sorry, it was an audio attachment that wouldn't upload. You've probably heard it already.

Try this link if you want to hear it.

http://www.wavsource.com/movies/gone_with_wind.htm

TW